1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a female electrical contact member adapted to receive a cylindrical male member.
The invention also concerns an electrical connector housing member adapted to receive a female member of the above kind.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention concerns female electrical contact members comprising a body with means at one end for fixing them to an electrical conductor and a series of elastic lugs at the other end adapted to grip a male member and arranged in a substantially frustoconical shape. In this type of female member an outer sleeve is sleeved over and fixed to the body and includes elastic tongues cooperating with said elastic lugs to reinforce their elastic action and retaining members for immobilizing said member in a passage in a housing member.
The female members generally have an abutment at the rear adapted to cooperate with a shoulder in the passage in the housing, the part of the latter adapted to receive the outer sleeve having a diameter greater than that of said outer sleeve so that the retaining lugs can pass through this part on fitting them to cooperate with a corresponding shoulder.
An arrangement of the above kind has many disadvantages. It necessarily implies some play of the female member in its passage with the result that insertion of the corresponding male member can damage the female members.
Also, the abutment increases the length of the female member which leads to the use of a large quantity of material and increases the contact resistance, which is particularly important in the case of power contacts.
One aim of the invention is to remedy the above drawbacks.